Fluid mixing device



Sept. 27, 1932. w, STOUT 1,879,582

FLUID MIXING DEVICE Filed June 27, 1930 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 27, 1932 MINOR W. STOUT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI FLUIDMIXING DEVICE Application filed June 27,

This invention relates to fluid mixing devices, and particularly toapparatus for effecting contact between two or more fluids,

any of which may be either a liquid, a gas or a vapor. The apparatus ofthepresent description is designed especially for mixing steam withwater for heating purposes, but

is capable of general application and use in any situation where any twoor more fluids are to be mixed with each other.

It is known in the art to utilize steam for the heating of water byinjecting the steam directly into a body of water to be heated. Thismethod is noisy, may build up an objectionable back-pressure, andrequires small inlet openings for a suitable regulation of flow, whichopenings in practice become easily obstructed. I propose, according tothe present invention, to distribute one of the fluids into a whirlingstream or body of the other fluid; the whirling action ofthe secondfluid being automatically obtained by admitting such fluid into acylindrically shaped container, tangentially to the curved walls of suchcontainer. This container is by preference, and according totheparticular example of the present disclosure, in the nature of a domehaving a bottom opening.

An object of the invention, as suggested by the preceding paragraph, maybe stated as the attainment of a device for the purpose noted, which ispractically noiseless in operation. n

A further object isattained inan improved arrangement of parts of'afluid mixer, such as a steam-water heater, which tends to generate avacuumor reduced pressure, instead of a back-pressure. 5 p

A still further object is to arrange the openings for both fluids, withrespect to the container, so as to permit the use of relatively largeinlet openings throughout.

An additional object is attained in'a more thorough mixing or heatingaction on account of the directed velocity of one fluid with respect toone or several other fluids.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be apparent to personsskilled in sent device is employed as part of other apthe art, as thedescription proceeds and ref- 1930. Serial 170 464384.

erence is made to the accompanying drawing, in which: i 1 i Fig. 1 is aplan view of a device constructed according to the present invention,showmg a central portion broken away to reveal the arrangementofopenings for admitting one of the fluids, and Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the device appearing in Fig. 1, with a lateral portion cutaway to show the arrangement of passages for the second fluid, and theirposition inside the container.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing, theentrance portsor passages 1, are employed to admit what may for con- H venience betermed the first fluid, preferably at an appreciable velocity, into thecontainer 3 which, according tothe present showing, assumes the form ofa cylindri'callyor domeshaped member, the top of which is closed, thesides of which are continuous and uniformly curved and the bottom ofwhich is preferably left open, the topbeingclosed or covered. Itwill, ofcourse, be understood that I do not restrict myself to the use of acontainer in which one or the bottom side of the container is leftentirely open, as in certain circumstancesaccording to the use of thedevice, it is practical to provide a bottom wall portion with a suitableoutlet drainage aperture (not shown). As will best appear from Fig. 1,the entrance passages 1 are by preference of a trend parallel'to eachother and so'disposed as to be intersected by the walls of the domeshaped container 3, and by further preference so located withrespect tothe container, that the inlet openings are diametrically opposite eachother. Any desired number of such passages may be employed, for the sameor different fluids. The container or dome may be fabricated of anysuitable or convenient material, so selected as not to be subject toexcessive corrosion by either of the fluids employed. It will, ofcourse, appear that in case the prelag paratus or in case thedome-shaped portion 3 may not consist of a separate element, theaccompanying portions-of the structure need not be limited tocylindrical form.

Means for introducing a second fluid, to

the interior of the container 3, are shown in the present example at 2and consist of one 01' more fittings. The one fittingillustrated iscross-shaped in section, the extremities of the legs of the crossproviding inlet openings of substantial size. This inlet fitting ispreferably so disposed in the container, as suggested by Fig. 1, thattwo of the openings thereof serve to inject the second fluid radially ofthe container and at a right angle to the trend of the stream of thefirst fluid at its point of entrance. At least one other, say

the uppermost projection or leg of thefitting,

is preferably utilized to project a stream of the second fluid in adirection vertically of the container 3. This latter stream impingesagainst the inner surface of the cover of the container, and isdeflected downwardly into the path of the first fluid entering throughpassages 1.

The device may, of course, be employed alone or in connection with othercontainers or apparatus, and in either event, to the end of providingmounting or supporting means, I have indicated at 4 suitable externalper forated lugs.

The action of the fluids when the device is in use, resulting in amixture of the two fluids and, for example, the heating of one fluid bythe other, are thought to be obvious from the foregoing detaileddescription of parts, but may be briefly reviewed, for sake of completeness, as follows: The first fluid entering at a substantialvelocity through the pas sages 1, is immediately given a whirling actionresulting not only in rotation about the center or axis of thecontainer, but also in an appreciable turbulence, the general trend ofwhirling or rotative movement of the first fluid being indicated byarrows 5. The second fluid, projected radially and preferably at anappreciable velocity along paths corresponding to the lead lines 2, willbe brought rapidly and intimately into mixing contact with the firstfluid. The heating eflect obtained, where steam and water constitute thefluids introduced to the container, will be obvious; and the heatedfluid or fluids will, of course, fall by gravity from the open side ofthe container, or may be delivered through a suitable drainopening incases where the lower side of the container may be partly closed. 7 i

It will appear that, by the tangential arrangement of fluid inlet ports,these openings are of relatively large sectional area, as are those forthe other, or any additional fluids introduced to the container. It willfurther appear that the quantities of each fluid intended to be handledin a unit time, may be varied through wide limits, without seriouslyaffecting the eificiency of the mixing action, on account of theintimacy of contact of particles of each fluid withthe other. Suchvariation in unit quantities of either fluid handled, may, within widelimits, be made independently of the quantity of any other fluidhandled. Provisions for varying the flow of the several fluids are, ofcourse, well known in the art and may consist of suitable valves (notshown), disposed in the lines behind ports 1 and 2.

It is believed that the foregoing description will clearly indicatecertain novel and structural features, practical economies ofconstruction and maintenance, as well as other advantages of theinvention, to persons who are skilled in the art. Manifestly thespecific description of structural details is to be considered only inan illustrative, and not in a limiting sense, since certain of thesedetails are not necessarily of the essence of the present subject matterbut may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and fullintendment of the invention,

as defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fluid heating device of mixing type, acontainer having asubstantially cylindrical portion and a bottom opening, means forinjecting a fluid substantially at a tangent to, and on opposite sidesof said cylindrical portion, a fitting forming passages for anotherfluid within the container, said passages being located near atransverse plane intersecting the injection means for said first namedfluid and directed across the path of said first named fluid in both alateral, and a transverse direction.

2. In a fluid heating device of mixing type, a container having asubstantially cylindrical portion provided with a bottom outlet opening,means forming an inlet port for one fluid and adapted to direct thestream of such fluid substantially tangentially to the sidesoi saidcylindrical portion, and a fitting forming inlet passages within thecontainer for a second fluid, and adapted to direct one stream of said'second fluid, substantially along a radius of said cylindrical portion,and another stream substantially along the axis of said cylindricalportion.

3. In a fluid heating device of mixing type, a container having aportion of substantially circular section, means forming an inletpassage for one fluid, arranged to project such fluid substantially at atangent to, and peripherally of, said portion of the container, and afitting in the container for injecting streams of a second fluid intosaid container at an angle to each other, with each of said streamsdirected substantially transversely to the initial path of said firstnamed fluid.

4. In a device of a type adapted to heat one fluid by admixture withanother fluid, a cylindrical container having an open bottom and closedtop; inlet passages for one fluid, disposed at substantiallydiametrically opposite locations, terminating within the,

curved sides of the container and of a trend substantially tangentthereto; and an inlet fitting for a second fluid, disposed substantiallycentrally of the container, said fitting being of angulate section andprovided with a pair of radial extensions having outlet openingsarranged to direct streams of said second fluid in opposite directionsand into impingement With fluid issuing from said first named inletpassages, said fitting being further provided with a vertical extensionhaving an outlet opening adapted to direct a stream of fluidsubstantially along the vertical axis of said container and atsubstantial- 1y a right angle to the plane of projection of v streams ofsaid first named fluid.

MINOR W. STOUT.

